Towel dispenser



April 25, 1939. .1. c. ERRI ET Al.

TOWEL DISPENSER Filed March 3, 1937 LIE 4 f e ma NL w/a mvg, 1m ,m DW

Patented Apr. 25, 1939 UNITED STATES TOWEL DISPENSER' Jay C. Perrin, Los Angeles, and PaulL. Geer, Berkeley, Calif.; said Geer assigner `toV said Perrin Application March 3, 1937, Serial No. 128,802v

6 Claims. (Cl. S12-451) This invention relates to and has for an object the provision of a simple and inexpensive folded towel dispenser, which as a small compact unit consisting of comparatively few parts, will issue a single towel with each operation and necessitate the removal of the towel thus issued before another towel may be dispensed, whereby to prevent wasteful dispensing operations.

Another object is to provide a towel dispenser of the character described wherein the towels are formed and folded in a novel manner making ypossible a dispensing operation thereof with a single moving part.

Another object is to provide a folded towel dispenser of the character described wherein the towels may be readily and easily prepared for use without expensive operations and equipment.

The invention further resides in the provision of a towel dispenser which comprises a cabinet having a dispensing openingspaced towel supporting members, a single movable dispensing element normally disposed to obstruct the issuance of the towels, a stack of towels, each folded to dene two folds of which one has a free marginal portion normally supported by said dispensing member and adapted to be moved into said opening while the remainder of the towel is supported in the cabinet, said one fold being also provided with another marginal portion disposed in offset or unaligned relation to the corresponding portion of the other fold, and an operating means for first moving said dispensing member from its normal position into operative relation with said unaligned portions whereby it will assume a posiv tion between said folds and for finally moving said dispensing member against said free marginal portion and back into said normal position whereby to move said free portion into said opening.

I have shown a preferred form of my invention in the .accompanying drawing, subject to modification within the scope of the appended claims without departing from the spirit of my invention.

Referring to the drawing:

Fig. l is a fragmentary perspective view of a towel dispenser constructed in accordance with this invention,

Fig. 2 is a perspective view of one of the folded towels,

Fig. 3 is a horizontal sectional view of the dispenser particularly showing the construction of the lower end thereof and the dispensing means, taken on line 3-3 of Fig. 6,

Figs. 4, 5 .and 6 are fragmentary sectional views each taken on the plane of line 4--4, 5-5, and

Yappropriate movement of said member.

indetail in the accompanying drawing, comprises Aa cabinet l suitably constructed to facilitate the filling thereof with paper to be dispensed and provided at its lower end witha dispensing opening 2. On the front wall 3 of this cabinet adjacent its lower end, is a paper supporting member or ledge 4, and on the rear wall 5 is a corresponding `paper supporting member 6. The member 6 has anupper face curved downwardly towards the Vopening 2 andat one end is recessed or cut away ..20

as at 'I to provide a space for the operation of a dispensing member 8. This member is L-shaped and has the shorter endYS'horizontally disposed in position to 4support the paper and obstruct issuance of the towels', as well as toeffect issuance thereof as will be hereafter more fully described. The other end of the member Bis pivoted as at IB, to the side wall I I of the cabinet. To control and limit the movement of the member 8 an operating means in the form of a handle I2 is eXtend- 30 ed through an arcuate slot I3 in the wall I'I and xed to said member.

The simple cabinet and dispensing means of this invention is made possible byv a simple formation of the towels having a single fold line for defining opposed folds of which one is adapted to gravitate between the supporting members 4 and 6 and come to rest upon the upper side of the dispensing member 8 which thereby obstructs the passage of this portion of the towel into the. dispensing opening. Another portion of said one fold is ,offset from or disposed out of alignment with the corresponding portion of the other fold and this arrangement makes possible the releasing of said one fold for movement by the dispensing member into dispensing position, upon The forming and folding of the towel may be accomplished as desired, provided the above-noted arrangements of the folds are m-ade. Satisfactory results have been obtained with atowel folded and formed as particularly shown in Fig. 2. Each towel is preferably 'of greater length than width, and is folded adjacent to its longitudinal median line to' dene'upper and lower folds I4 and l5 55 wherein the free longitudinal marginal portion of the lower fold is spaced inwardly from the corresponding marginal portion of the upper fold. This provides for the supporting of the towels in a stack as shown in Figs. 4 to 9 inclusive, with the free margin-al portion of the lower fold of the lowermost towel adapted to gravitate or to be moved towards the dispensing opening, while the remainder of said towel is supported by said members 4 and 5.

As here shown one end edge of the lower fold of each towel has a portion I6 offset from or out of alignment with the corresponding portion of the upper fold. This may be provided for by forming -a notch I'I in said end of said fold, the notch being approximately midway between the longitudinal edges of said fold, although subject to location at other points. This notch or spaced disposition of the edge I6 from the corresponding portion on the upper fold facilitates release of the lower fold upon appropriate movement of the dispensing member 8.

When the dispenser is ready for operation the lowermost towel and the dispensing means 8 are in the position shown in Fig. 7, such that the portion 9 of said member supports the lower fold I in position above but inaccessible through the dispensing opening. Upon now grasping and moving the handle I2 rearwardly the portion 9 is disposed in the position shown in Figs, 5 and 8, this position being determined by the handle striking the end of the slot I3. In such position the member 9 cooperates with the offset or unaligned portions, or in other words registers with the notch I'I in such manner that said portion will assume a position between the folds I4 and I5. As here shown the lower fold I4, that is the free marginal portions thereof, will gravitate downwardly into the approximate position shown in Fig. 5 immediately the member 9 enters said notch, and thereby said member 9 is disposed between the folds of the towel. The operator now pulls the handle I2 and member 9 back to normal position being that shown in Fig. 6. The member 9 traveling upon the upper surface of the then depending portion of the lower fold will push said portion into the dispensing opening so as to project through said opening as shown in Fig. 6. The operator now grasps the projecting portion of the lowermost towel and may readily pull the same from the dispenser. It is important to note that when the towel is moved into position to be grasped and removed as shown in Fig. 6 that the dispenser is inoperative to move another towel into dispensing position, inasmuch as movement of said member back and forth will in no manner change the position of the towels. As soon, however, as a towel is removed from the position shown in Fig. 6 the lower fold of the then lowermost towel of the stack will gravitate on to the member 9 as shown in Fig. 4. It is thus seen that the operation of pushing the free marginal portion of a towel into position where it can be grasped for removal of the towel disposes the operating member in positionto obstruct the issuance of the next towel and makes necessary the full prescribed movement of said member in order to dispense the next towel.

It will be seen that the dispenser of this invention operates only upon the corners of the towels, such portions being projected freely through said openings whereby when pulled the towels will be readily withdrawn from the cabinet. The curved upper face of the member 'I extends close to the front wall of the cabinet and the lower edge thereof is disposed at one side of the dispensing opening to facilitate easy withdrawal of the towels without tearing the same.

We claim:

l. A towel dispenser comprising a cabinet having a dispensing opening, spaced towel supporting members in the cabinet, a movable dispensing member normally disposed to obstruct the passage of towels through said opening, said cabinet being adapted to support a stack of towels each of which is folded to define two folds of which one has a free marginal portion adapted to gravitate towards said dispensing member and a notch in another marginal portion thereof, and means operable on the exterior of said cabinet for first moving said dispensing member from said normal position into position of registration with said notch and finally movable between said folds back to said normal position to force said free marginal portion out through said dispensing opening.

'2. A towel dispenser comprising a cabinet having a dispensing opening, spaced towel supporting members in said cabinet, a movable dispensing member normally disposed to obstruct the passage of towels through said opening, said cabinet being adapted to support a stack of towels each of which is folded to define twoV folds with one having a free marginal portion adapted for movement towards said opening, while the remainder thereof is retained by said supporting members, said one fold having another marginal portion which is out of alignment with the corresponding portion of the other fold and means operable exteriorly of said cabinet for rst moving said dispensing member from its normal position into operative relation with said unaligned portions whereby to assume a position between said folds, and for finally moving said dispensing member against said free marginal portion back to said normal position for forcing said marginal portion through said opening.

3. A towel dispenser comprising a cabinet having a dispensing opening, a movable dispensing member normally disposed to obstruct the passage of towels through said opening, means in the cabinet adapted to support a stack of paper towels each of which is folded to define opposed folds of which one has a free marginal portion disposed for movement towards said dispensing opening and another marginal portion which is out o-f alignment with a corresponding portion of the other fold, and means operable exteriorly of said cabinet for first moving said dispensing member from its normal position to a position of cooperation with said unaligned portions whereby to gain a position between said folds and for finally moving said dispensing member between said folds back to said normal position to thereby force said free marginal portion through said opening, said towel supporting means including a supporting ledge out away at one end to leave a corner portion of the free fold of each towel unsupported.

4. A towel dispenser comp-rising a cabinet having a dispensing opening, a movable dispensing member normally disposed to obstruct the passage of towels through said opening, means in the cabinet for supporting a stack of paper towels wherein each is folded to define opposed folds of which one has a free marginal portion disposed for movement towards said dispensing opening and another marginal portion which is out of alignment with a corresponding portion of the other fold, and means operable exteriorly of said Ins cabinet for first moving said dispensing member from its normal position to a position of cooperation with said unaligned portions whereby to gain a position between said folds and for nally moving said dispensing member between said folds back to said normal position to thereby force said free marginal portion through said opening, said dispensing member being pivoted within the cabinet at one end and having its other end extended laterally beneath said stack of towels.

5. A towel dispenser comprising a cabinet having a dispensing opening, a movable dispensing member normally disposed to obstruct the passage of towels through said opening, spaoledI towel supporting members arranged to support a stack of paper towels folded to dene opposed folds of which one has a free marginal portion disposed for movement towards said dispensing opening while the remainder thereof is retained by said supporting members, said one fold having another marginal portion which is out of alignment with a corresponding portion of the other fold, and means operable exteriorly of said cabinet for first moving said dispensing member from its normal position to a position of cooperation with the unaligned portions whereby to gain a position between said folds and for finally moving said dispensing member between said folds back to said normal position for moving a corner only of the towel into said opening, one of said towel supporting members having an end thereof cut away to accommodate the movement of said dispensing member.

6. A towel dispenser comprising a cabinet having a dispensing opening, a movable dispensing member normally disposed to obstruct the passage of towels through said opening, said cabinet being adapted to support a stack of towels each of which is folded to dei-lne two folds of which one has a free marginal portion adapted to gravitate towards said dispensing member and a notch in another marginal portion thereof, and

. means operable on the exterior of said cabinet,

for first moving said dispensing member from said normal position into position of registration with said notch and finally movable between said folds back to said normal position to force said free marginal portion out through said dispensing opening. f

JAY C. PERRIN. PAUL L. GEER. 

